Celebrating Scottish Whisky

Good food, brilliant entertainment and great Scotch whisky are all features of the annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. The event takes place in the Speyside region, which is found in the north east of Scotland.

Visitors to Speyside during the beginning of May can expect to enjoy themselves and indulge in a number of cultural activities. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival celebrates not only a strong tradition of Scottish whisky making, but also the true spirit of this part of the country. Music, art, literature and fine food are combined with scenic walks of the countryside and enjoyable association with the locals to make for a truly memorable event. At the heart of it all lies the River Spey, around which the entire region is set up. The River Spey is one of the best salmon rivers in the country and its entire length is dotted by dozens of legendary malt whisky distilleries. Aberdeen Angus cattle graze peacefully on the riverbanks of this great stretch of river while the awe-inspiring Cairngorn Mountains loom in the distance, providing the perfect backdrop to an already perfect setting. Speyside is home to a number of different towns, villages and estates and if you are visiting for the festival you should certainly take the time to really explore these.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival itself is a mixture of whisky themed events. Visitors can visit distilleries, which are not often open to the public. They can take part in walks, enjoy fine dinners and enjoy a number of master classes covering anything from whisky and chocolate tasting to learning more about the whisky smuggling heritage of the area. Artists will be displaying their works while noteworthy musicians will provide an enjoyable atmosphere. 2009 marks the tenth anniversary of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and a number of extra special events have been planned in celebration of this fact, including a performance by the renowned band Capercaillie. The 2009 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is scheduled to take place from May 1 to May 10. Make sure you don’t miss it!